


Rip the weeds before they strangle you.

by youngjusticewriter



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Joffrey and Sansa married, Queen Sansa, the oc is their daughter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-15
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-08-02 17:25:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16309496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youngjusticewriter/pseuds/youngjusticewriter
Summary: Cersei's smile is tight in distaste at her words. "Did your mother ever teach you how to properly kill a weed?"Sansa interprets the meaning of Cersei's words as she watches her daughter run from Joffrey once Joanna had spied a bush of winter roses.A weed; a flower, a Tyrell.





	Rip the weeds before they strangle you.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bikadoo_2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bikadoo_2/gifts).



"Would you like to hear some advice my little dove?" The dowager Queen asks and before Sansa can even wear a placid smile in return Cersei snakes her arm around Sansa's own and pulls her closer. The blue of her of gown, a shade much alike to House Tully's blue eyes, clashes with the bejeweled auburn dress that Cersei wears. How the dowager Queen carries that heavy weight in this heat that bears down on them is something Sansa can never begin to answer. 

It's from her husband's violent attentions that Sansa does not stumble as Cersei leads them forward, away from the other inhabitants of their party - away from listening ears - and closer to their children. 

While Joffrey has begun to leave Sansa in peace because his attentions (his affections, to be candor which Sansa can only be in her mind) are else where with one of her handmaidens he hasn't neglected their daughter. The single thing they wholly agree on is the adoration they share for Joanna. At first it Joffrey only cared for Joanna's dark hair he thought she had derived it from her grandfather (which was indeed true but not the grandfather Joffrey thought of), but since Joanna has grown to be as wild as Arya and Aunt Lyanna had been. Her husband adored it. Joffrey had even blessed Joanna a sword on her name day to begin to practice with under the tutelage of Ser Jaime. 

"What wisdom do you wish to depart to me Mother?" Sansa's asks once they are far enough away from those who now can only watch with prying eyes. 

Cersei's smile is tight in distaste at her words. "Did your mother ever teach you how to properly kill a weed?" 

Sansa interprets the meaning of Cersei's words as she watches her daughter run from Joffrey once Joanna had spied a bush of winter roses. 

A weed; a flower, a Tyrell. 

Sansa doesn't need to ask which Tyrell. Despite the opinions of court Sansa is not dumb, deaf, and blind. Courtesy is lady's armor after all. What good would it do to publicly admit that she knows what is between her husband and her handmaiden? None. None at all. Sansa may be Queen but that does not mean she has power or longer believes there is power resided by her. 

When no pained expression makes itself home on Sansa's face Cersei continues. "No, I would suppose not, little dove." 

She's bound to Cersei as they troll further together on this path.

"You rip it from the roots before they can strangle you," Cersei advices in a sweet voice. She's always sweet in voice the dowager Queen, but that did not mean her motives were derived from kindness. 

Joanna is now walking towards them, soot having stained her dress. (She may carry a sword but that did not mean she would not behave like the lady she was in other matters.) It's day and Arya never died in King's Landing yet none of those things stop Joanna looking like the breathing ghost of Sansa's sister. It's because of that Sansa does not give a castigation to her daughter for spoiling the dress Joanna had received on her name day. 

Joanna smiles brightly up at her once she reaches them. "Mother I picked these for you because flowers mean I care for you - that is what Lady Margaery said." 

Joanna thrusted her hand in the air so Sansa might take the gift from her. Sansa grabs them with a smile that reaches her eyes. The winter rose (one of the new propagated ones by the looks of it and not from the bush Sansa had seen earlier) had been yanked from its roots and the soil stains Sansa's palm. The ironies she holds in her palm are not lost on Sansa; hadn't Bran mentioned all those years ago mentioned that antlers had been what had killed Lady's mother? 

Sansa can feel Cersei's diligent eyes upon her. Sansa's smile does not falter despite the weight of her fears she carries. In fact it grows to be that smile Sansa wears in court like a second skin. 

"Thank you my love," Sansa coos at her daughter before picking Joanna up. Now Sansa's dress is stained as well but her free arm does not tremble. Her hold on her child (her only family) is a tight thing. 

How alike she's become to Cersei.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally I was going to mark this story inspired by A Caged Songbird (I haven't reviewed yet but I'm going to go back and review every chapter once I go to read it a second time) but then I learnt that bikadoo_2 didn't have any gift fics. I fixed that. I have no idea if bikadoo_2 will like this but I hope they do. 
> 
> Also did you know that Anne served Catherine (along with Jane who later would serve Anne as well before marrying Henry VIII) as a handmaiden?


End file.
